Safety type ski towrope grip



Aug. 10, 1948. G. MAKAROFF 2,446,710

SAFETY TYPE SKI TOWROPE GRIP Filed Nov. 50, 1945 Gregory Makaro ff IN V EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 10, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY TYPE SKI TOWROPE GRIP Gregory Makaroff, Lanesboro, Mass.

Application November 30, 1945, Serial No. 631,911

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to a novel and improved safety type ski tow rope grip which is especially and expressly constructed for use by skiers, the same being of a quick-release type and having means at its inner end for attachment to the skiers body-encircling belt and provided at its onposite end with a practical and reliable hand-grip which is especially shaped and is thus adapted to be releasably clasped, by either hand of the skier, against the customary fast moving tow rope.

More specifically, the invention appertains to a skiers tow rope grip including a relatively short pull rope provided at its outer hand-applied and retained end with a feasible and handily usable, quickly releasable tow rope grip which lends itself admirably well to serve the intended purposes and which minimizes damage to tow rope and reduces the possibility of accidents to skiers.

It is a matter of common knowledge that suitably powered tow ropes and tow cables are used on ski trails to enable the skiers to conveniently return uphill for a new start. Different types of tow rope grips are, of course, employed to achieve the desired ends. A conventional tow rope grip is made up of a rope, somewhat smaller than the moving tow rope, and this is formed into a tie or knot at one end and attached to the skiers belt. At the opposite end of the small or so-calle'd pull rope, there is a double-jawed metal or equivalent clamp and this simply embraces and clamps around the rap-idly travelling tow rope. Due to the fact that present styles of grips and clamps are provided with all sorts of jaws, it is not surprising that tow ropes are soon chafed, unduly worn, and rendered useless. Not only this, there is always the possibility that failure of the grip to be properly released and disengaged from the tow rope may pull the skier into the motiontransmitting pulley, this resulting in injury to uninitiated and unsuspecting skiers. In some instances, these grips, the kinds now used, get caught and jam in the pulley and wear and tear the tow rope to a point of irreparable damage. For examples of prior art devices alluded to above, reference may be had to patents to B. Dondero, 2,217,946 of October 15, 1940, and T. C. Cook, 2,679,491 of March 4, 1937.

By way of further introduction to the nature of the invention, it is to be explained that ski tow ropes are caused to travel rather rapidly, the speed ranging from to miles or more. Then, too, the ski-er, upon returning upgrade through the aid of the grip by which he attaches himself to the moving tow rope, usually holds the tow rope grip in the left hand, at the same time carrying both ski poles with the same hand. In carrying out the principles of my improved safety type ski pole rope grip, I have perfected a construction which lends itself for use by either right or left hand. It follows, therefore, that the improved device thus enables the skier to apply and hold the grip on the tow line with the right hand while carrying the ski poles, in usual fashion, on the left arm.

Also in view of the many disadvantages attending presently used tow line grips, I have evolved and produced, as before indicated, a safety, quickly releasable grip which is easily clenched in the users hand and then clasped against the tow rope to achieve desired ends, but is such that as soon as it is freed by the users hand it readily slips from around the tow rope, thus providing an automatic, quick release, this to promote the aforesaid safety feature.

Novelty is also predicated upon a simple and expedient tow rope grip in which the attachment of said grip to the tow rope is effected by simply looping or wrapping the hand-grip equipped end of the companion rope around the tow rope, this affording a secure single hitch connection between the two ropes, said loop being maintained by merely grasping the hand-grip and encircling same and the tow rope in an obvious manner.

In addition to the above, and more explicitly construed, novelty has to do with a flexible, relatively small pull rope usable in combination with a moving, conventional type skiers tow rope in conjunction with a skier and a belt to be worn by the skier, an intermediate portion of the stated pull rope being once wrapped around the tow rope, the end portions of the pull rope being drawn in opposite directions to cross one another, the load towing end being thu allowed to extend rearwardly, the other end, that is, the end which is held in the hand of the skier, extending forwardly so that the single wrap-ping or loop is fashioned into a single hitch which serves to temporarily join the pull rope with the tow rope, a hand grip being carried by the forward hand-held end of the pull rope and so arranged that it may be conveniently clasped in the hand of the skier and held fast against the tow rope to thus tension the forward end of the pull rope at a point in advance of the single hitch to partly tauten the latter around the tow rope, the remaining rear end of the pull rope connecting to the belt by a safety knot permitting the belt to carry the load and to put the last-named end portion of the pull rope under tension to completely bind the single hitch around said pull rope when said tow rope is moving.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view showing .the manner in which one end of the ropeportion of said grip is looped and wrapped around the tow rope, and the manner in which the handgrip is employed and pressed by hand for towing purposes.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the arrangement depicted in Figure 2 with the hand removed; showing the manner in which the pull rope is looped and wrapped to frlc-tionallybindaround the tow rope.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top planview showing the hand removed-andwthe hand-gripautomatically breaking loose and switching and disengaging itself from the tow rope in a manner toeffect the stated automatic safety release result.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a skier wearing. .a' belt and with the pull rope connected at one end to saidbelt and releasably' hitched, between its ends, to said tow rope.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals, it will be: seen that the ski tow rope grip, as aunitary assemblage-or device, is denoted generally-by the-numeral 5'. This device comprises a relatively small rope B-Which is usually about the size of the conventional window sash cord. It averages about two or three feet in length, and one. end is tied into a.- readyto-release safety knot, as. at 1, with the terminal 8 ready for quick trip releaseiftand when the user finds it necessary to disengage this thus. tied end of said pull rope fromhis belt-9', Usually, such pull ropes are attached to. an ordinary wide belt such as is worn by a skier. However, there are other ways and means of attaching pull ropes to the body of theweareror ski-er. WhatIam mainly interested in is the hand-grip ID on the! free outer end of said pull rope. 'Ihisis here shown as comprising a substantially frusto-conioal'body i! which is centrally bored to permit passage of the rope 6 therethrough, the freeend'of the rope being knotted, as at 6 and thus fastened in place, said body having its inner'tapered end fitting'in-to the adjacent end of a metal thimble' or" ferrule :2. The small end I3' of the ferrule is tapered down to a feather edge where it snugly and securely surrounds the rope 6. Suitable-classes and types of materials (not illustrated) may be. employed in the construction of said hand-grip ID. The latter may be allof one pieceof asuitable kind of material, but in the drawings I' have shown it in the form of a wooden knob I l with a metal, (copper for example) ferrule I2 It is important that the end l3 must mergenic'ely and aptly'into the rope 6 so as toavoid the presence such point of any'ab'rupt shoulder or obstru'c tion. This is so because it is essenti'altha't during the safety release of the hand-grip, as shown in Figure 4, said hand-grip must swing bodily around the tow rope and the metal ferrulemust slip and slid-e with ease between the adjacent en-d'portion of the pull rope and the adjacent underlying-portion of the towrope' l4.

As is evident from the drawing, the hand-grip is of such shape and form as to lend itself nicely to fit snugly in the crotch of the hand between the index finger and .thumb, making it possible to lightly clench or clasp the hand around the grip and also around the tow rope to effect the desired gripping and retention action of the device. In accomplishing this, the outer end of the rope 6 is looped or wrapped once, single hitch style, around the tow rope M, as illustrated. The hand-grip, at a point beyond the hitch then need only be held infirm contact with the tow rope by pressing the hand-grip against said tow rope, this action being sufiicient to prevent unwinding of said loop andmaintenance of the friction grip afforded by said loop. The hand gripped position close to the loop, as illustrated, is so that the ferrule, once the hand-grip is released, feeds itself between the rope (i and rope M, thus unwinding the loop and freeing said rope 6. Skiers, being familiar with the practice of handling so-called ski tow rope grips, soon learn to apply the improved device and likewise observe how its quick and automatic release and disengagement is accomplished.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain aclear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field 0f invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, ifdesired.

I claim:

1. In a ski trail apparatus of the class shown and described, in combination, a conventionaltype skiers tow rope adapted to be motivated by way of customary powering means, a pull rope anchoring belt adapted to embrace the body of a skier, a relatively short highly flexible hand applied pull rope, the rear skier towing end of s-aidpull rope being detachably connected, by way of aready-to-release safety knot, with said belt, a'smo'oth surfaced hand-grip free of surface protrusions and shoulders fastened against forward slippage on the forward end of said pull rope, said hand-grip being of a size to be gripped in the hand of a skier and, while simultaneously gripping the towrope, pressed and held fast against said tow rope, said hand grip being of tapered rearwardly diminishing form and the smaller rear end merging gradually and unobstructedly with the surface of said pull rope, the intermediate portion of said pull rope, rearwardly of said handgrip and forwardly of said belt, being looped and once wrapped around aid tow rope and providin once said wrapping is under tension, a friction retained single hitch connecting the moving tow line and correspondingly moving pull rope, said single hitch being partially tautened and held against slippage and unwinding by the tensioned rearwardly trailing end portion of the pull rope connected to said anchoring belt, and further tautened and held in place by clasping and holding said hand-grip fast against the tow rope.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, said handgrip being composed of a smooth surfaced noncrushable frusto-conical knob having a central longitudinal bore, and a reinforcing ferrule fitting over and secured to the truncated end of the knob, the adjacent end portion of said pull rope passingthrough said ferrule and bore, the rear end of said ferrule being reduced in diameter and the front end of said ferrule being tapered to coincide with the taper of said knob.

3. In a ski trail apparatus of the class shown and described, in combination, a conventional type skiers tow line adapted to be motivated by way of customary ski trail powering means, a pull rope anchoring belt adapted to securely embrace the body of a moving skier, a relatively small and flexible pull rope of predetermined length, an intermediate portion of said pull rope being looped and wrapped once around said tow line and providing, when tautened, a friction retained single-hitch connection between the moving tow line and correspondingly moving pull rope, said single-hitch being effected and partially maintained against loosening and displacement from said tow line by the tensioned rearwardly trailing reach of the pull rope connected, at its rear end, to said anchoring belt, and a substantially solid hand-grip fastened on the free forward end of said pull rope and located beyond and forwardly of said single-hitch, said hand-grip embodying a frusto-conical knob mounted on said pull rope with the truncated end of the knob directed toward said belt, said truncated end being provided with a complemental securely fastened ferrule, the rear end of said ferrule being reduced and the front end of said ferrule being tapered to coincide with the taper of the knob, the reduced rear end of said ferrule merging uninterruptedly and smoothly with the exterior surface of said pull rope to provide an adaptation wherein the hand-grip, as a unit, may be conveniently clasped in the hand of the skier and held fast, in conjunction with the forward end of the pull rope against said tow line to thus assist in frlctionally binding and securing said single-hitch around the tow line, said single-hitch instantly unwinding and disengaging, at will, from the moving tow line when the skiers hand is simultaneously freed from said tow line and hand-grip.

4. In a ski trail towing apparatus of the class shown and described, in combination, a conventional-type skiers tow rope adapted to be motivated by Way of customary powering means, a flexible relatively small pull rope, a skier and a belt adapted to be worn by said skier, an intermediate portion of said pull rope being looped and once wrapped around said tow rope, the end portions of said pull rope being bent and disposed in opposite directions and crossing each other and one, the load towing end, extending rear- Wardly and the other, a skier hand held end, extending forwardly and transforming said wrapped loop into a single hitch to join said ropes, a handgrip carried by the forward hand held end of said pull rope and adapted to be clasped in the hand of the skier and held fast against the tow rope to tension said forward end of the pull rope in advance of said single hitch and to partly tauten the latter around the tow rope, the remaining rear end of said pull rope being securely connected, through the medium of a ready-to-release safety knot, with said belt to carry the load and to put the last-named end portion of the pull rope under tension to thus completely bind the single-hitch around said ]tow rope when said tow is moving, said hand-grip being of tapered rearwardly diminishing form with the smaller rear end portion merging gradually and free of surface protrusions with the surface of said pull rope, whereby when the hand-grip is freed, at will, from the skiers hand the single-hitch will, because of resistance from the load, freely unwind and readily disconnect the pull rope from the moving tow rope.

GREGORY MAKA'RO-FF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

